First Half of 114th General Assembly Prepares to Adjourn
Lawmakers are making quick work of the last few weeks of the 114th General Assembly at the time this issue is printing, expecting to finish their business before May 2025.
To keep up with the latest on week-to-week proceedings, check out the legislative alert and listen to Farm Bureau on the Hill.
Regarding TFBF priority issues:
SJR1/HJR2 – Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit a Statewide Property Tax
On March 26, 2025, the Senate took up SJR 1 by Haile for its third and final reading and voted 26-5 to support a constitutional amendment to ban a statewide property tax, well-above the two-thirds majority vote needed. At time of printing, the companion legislation, HJR2 by Rep. Tandy Darby (R – Greenfield), is expected to pass the House with a two-thirds majority vote. After that, it will head to the 2026 Gubernatorial ballot. Expect to hear more about this Farm Bureau priority issue over the next year as this legislation continues its journey.
SB207/HB1325 – Farmland Preservation
Tennessee continues to lose farmland across the state at a rate of 9.8 acres an hour and ranks third nationwide for the rate at which farmland is converted out of production. A continued effort from last General Assembly, Gov. Bill Lee has made farmland preservation a priority for this year’s legislative agenda through SB207 by Sen. Jack Johnson (R – Franklin) and HB1325 by Rep. William Lamberth (R – Portland) and Rep. Greg Vital (R – Harrison).
As introduced, the legislation acknowledges the Tennessee General Assembly finds that Tennessee history and culture to be positively impacted by agricultural endeavors and believes preserving farmland and forestland will provide food security for generations to come. Furthermore, it establishes the Farmland Preservation Fund for the development and implementation of programs which benefit Tennesseans by preserving farmland and forestland, including a grant program for voluntary conservation easements.
Administered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the grants will allow landowners to voluntarily enroll their land in a permanent conservation easement held by a qualified easement holder, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists for the purpose of managing conservation easements on farmland and forestland. The legislation passed the Senate 27-4 and the House 84-8, and is headed to the governor’s desk.
SB527/HB809 – Crop Protection Liability Defense Passes Senate, Second Calendar of 2026 in House Judiciary Committee
In order to protect crop protection providers from frivolous and unjustified “failure to warn” lawsuits and allow farmers to continue to use vital crop protection technology, Rep. Rusty Grills (R – Newbern) and Sen. John Stevens (R – Huntingdon) filed legislation which would provide a defense to the manufacturers who provide essential crop protection products like glyphosate. The legislation takes into account only those products which are registered according to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Tennessee Department of Agriculture guidelines. Failure to provide such defense and protection could result in a withdrawal of crucial products from the market for farmers. This legislation passed the Senate 21-7 and was moved to the second calendar of 2026 in the House Judiciary Committee.
Other Items of Mention
SB931/HB804 – Defining Cell Cultured Protein
HB804 by Rep. Rusty Grills (R – Newbern) unanimously passed in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. At time of printing, it had received a positive recommendation from the House Government and Operations Committee and was awaiting a House floor vote. The companion legislation, SB931 by Sen. Paul Rose (R – Covington), unanimously passed the Senate.
As amended, the legislation defines “cell-cultured food products” as food produced from harvested animal cells without slaughter, prohibits labeling such products as “meat” or “meat food products” and imposes a $2,000 fine per violation for misbranding.
SB670/HB541 – Updating Tennessee’s Wetlands Law
Last General Assembly, lawmakers discussed how to regulate wetlands in Tennessee. Ultimately, no action on legislation was taken, except for a directed summer study to be conducted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and pertinent stakeholders, including Farm Bureau.
This year, HB541 by Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R – Collierville) and SB670 by Sen. Brent Taylor (R – Memphis) seeks to establish clear definitions on the types of isolated wetlands in Tennessee. The Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. EPA that states have certain regulatory authority over state waters, thus these definitions provide clarity on isolated, artificial, low-quality, moderate-quality and high-quality isolated wetlands. The proposal further creates and updates an existing structure of responsibility in terms of mitigation requirements for each type of isolated wetland based on the level of quality. The Senate passed the legislation 25-6 and at time of printing was expected to pass the House.
SB755/HB589 – Updating the Tennessee Ag and Forestry Hall of Fame
Tennessee is home to the oldest Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame, established in 1937 and honoring thirteen individuals who have gone above and beyond for agriculture and forestry. Aside from minor tweaks in 2014, this statute has not been updated since the 1930s. SB755 by Rep. Ken Yager (R – Kingston) and HB589 by Rep. Renea Jones (R – Erwin) updates the code to today’s standards. Both the House and Senate passed this legislation, which means it is headed to the governor’s desk.
SB1058/HB1086 – Removing State Veterinarian’s Authority Fails in Senate Committee
This year, the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee took up SB1058 by Rep. Mark Pody (R – Lebanon). Ultimately, the legislation failed and the companion, HB1086 by Rep. Bud Hulsey (R – Kingsport), was taken off notice in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee. This legislation would have hindered the state veterinarian’s authority to act swiftly in instances of foreign animal disease outbreaks.
Tennessee General Assembly Passes 2025-2026 Budget
Items related to investments for Tennessee agriculture:
Recurring allocations:
- $15 million for the Agricultural Enterprise Fund
- $5 million for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (total amount is now $31 million annually)
- $1.5 million to the University of Tennessee Institute of Public Service for local government planning
- $1.5 million for the state meat inspection program
- $547,000 for the University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture for landowner education
Nonrecurring allocations:
- $90.5 million for FFA and 4-H camp infrastructure ($45.25 million to each organization)
- $25 million to establish the Farmland Preservation Fund
- $1.5 million for county and regional fair capital investments
- $1 million for AgLaunch
Additionally, Tennessee Farm Bureau is appreciative of the millions of dollars for East and West Tennessee flood relief programs that are included in the budget.
